by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Area Studies is the 115th most popular major in the country with 6,257 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. In , area studies graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $33,127 and had an average of $22,500 in loans still to pay off.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,952 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,724 and $23,030 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major” ranking looked at 419 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in area studies. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in area studies.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree area studies students.
Out of the 419 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Fort Worth, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 40 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2021-2022.
Read full report on Area Studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Bowdoin College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major. Bowdoin is located in Brunswick, Maine and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 47 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wesleyan University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major. Middletown, Connecticut is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 80 students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Connecticut College. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major. Connecticut College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in New London, Connecticut. It awarded 19 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Barnard College. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Oberlin College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Oberlin, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 35 students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Scripps College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Trinity College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking, coming in at #8. This small school is located in Hartford, Connecticut, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Houghton College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. This small school is located in Houghton, New York, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Dickinson College ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. This small school is located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
With a ranking of #11, Smith College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. Northampton, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 21 students in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Williams College ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. Williams College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It awarded 15 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Middlebury College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Middlebury College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Middlebury, Vermont. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Wellesley College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Wellesley, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 28 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Hobart and William Smith Colleges landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Located in Geneva, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Furman University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. This small school is located in Greenville, South Carolina, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
St Olaf College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. St. Olaf is a small school located in Northfield, Minnesota that handed out 22 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Carleton College ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. Northfield, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 15 students in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Brandeis University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Brandeis University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Waltham, Massachusetts. It awarded 40 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Franklin and Marshall College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Franklin and Marshall College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Area Studies at Franklin and Marshall College
Amherst College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking, coming in at #21. Amherst, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 27 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Davidson College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Davidson is located in Davidson, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Vassar College landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Vassar College is located in Poughkeepsie, New York and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Mount Holyoke College ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. Located in South Hadley, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 21 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Colgate University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking, coming in at #25. This small school is located in Hamilton, New York, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Willamette University | Salem, OR |
| 52 | University of Richmond | University of Richmond, VA |
| 53 | Austin College | Sherman, TX |
| 54 | Hampshire College | Amherst, MA |
| 55 | Lake Forest College | Lake Forest, IL |
| 55 | Pitzer College | Claremont, CA |
| 57 | Coe College | Cedar Rapids, IA |
| 58 | Knox College | Galesburg, IL |
| 59 | Wheaton College Massachusetts | Norton, MA |
| 60 | Macalester College | Saint Paul, MN |
| 61 | University of Hawaii at Hilo | Hilo, HI |
| 62 | Morehouse College | Atlanta, GA |
| 63 | College of the Holy Cross | Worcester, MA |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
